E.H. Gibbs House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	William Penn College campus, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Coordinates	41°18′31″N 92°38′41″W / 41.30861°N 92.64472°W / 41.30861; -92.64472
Area	less than one acre
Built	1903
Architect	Frank E. Wetherell
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Oskaloosa MPS 1 Oskaloosa MPS 2 Oskaloosa MPS 3
NRHP reference  No.	91001761 [1]
Added to NRHP	December 13, 1991

The E. H. Gibbs House (also known as "The Elms at Ridge Place" and "Griffith Hall"), was built in 1903 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was designed by Frank E. Wetherell in Classical Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. ^[1]

Owner

E. H. Gibbs settled in town in 1869 and became a prominent member of the community. ^[2] He was a banker, real estate developer, founder of an insurance company, and a developer of a coal mine. He helped to bring the railroad to town, and founded the Oskaloosa Times and served as its first editor.

Builder

Gibbs hired Oskaloosa architect Wetherell to design the house, which was completed in 1903. It was the third large commission Wetherell had received in a three-year period; the other two being St. James Episcopal Church and the Oskaloosa Public Library. Known contemporaneously as "The Elms at Ridge Place," the two-story brick house replaced a frame house at the same location, which had been the family farm. The E. H. Gibbs house architecture demonstrated Wetherell's continued interest in neoclassical detailing, but was his first executed in brick. ^[2] Wetherell relocated to Des Moines, Iowa three years after the house was completed.

Later use

The Gibbs family gave the house to neighboring William Penn University, where it was renamed Griffith Hall. It was used for offices and music rooms. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1991. ^[1] The building has subsequently been torn down.

References